AuthorTopic: Is there a scarcity of Eurocrime soundtracks out there? (Read 5114 times)

So I was discussing this with someone on Facebook earlier in the week, going over all of the various Eurocrime soundtrack comps which have been released over the years, and how the market for crime scores seems to have dried up in recent months/years.

Although Alessandroni's score to "Knell, Bloody Avenger" was recently released, it seems as if the major soundtrack companies (Beat, Digitmovies, GDM, etc) continue to put out soundtracks to spy, drama, comedy, peplum and western films with little to no attention paid to the multitude of crime films still awaiting official score release on CD.

Why do you think this is? Is there a scarcity of master tapes out there from which to work? Do companies think there isn't as much interest in the often funky, urban feel to many of the crime scores when compared to the "classic" orchestral/beat/shake/western motifs of other Italian genres? Is there less interest in soundtrack releases in GENERAL, thanks to the rise of digital music?

As a soundtrack buff, I wish there were more Eurocrime scores available, as I've acquired nearly all of the commercially available sets, plus many unofficial rips from the Interwebs. I still purchase so much music, but I'll admit to being depressed at the lack of variety these days from the major CD reissue companies. I want some new Eurocrime scores, dammit!

What's everyone's thoughts on this subject? Would it be wise for Raro open up a musical division, similar to what Dagored did for a brief time, or would it be a waste of money? Maybe include the soundtracks with the DVD/BD release, similar to what Grindhouse has been doing with The Big Gundown and Cannibal Holocaust?

It could just be down to the limited appeal for these scores by the mainstream soundtrack collector? The majority of the top titles are already out there so we're left with a lot of obscure titles that only people like us would be interested in, which maybe makes the rights holders reluctant to remaster the elements and release them?

I must admit I don't buy CDs anymore, has the market in general dropped off to such an extent that the labels aren't interested in putting out anything new? I'd be happy to buy good quality downloads though...

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I still get CDs, then I put them on my itunes, so I have a physical copy and a computerized version for my ipod.

But you are right, there is a lack of Eurocrime CD releases nowadays, I think the most recent one was Mafia, Una Legge Che Non Perdona, coupled with a Gianni Crea western soundtrack.

Yeah, I picked up that split CD, gladly so! Maybe people don't buy as many CDs these days, and yeah most of the big time stuff has already been released on disc, but it isn't as if there's a huge demand for some of rare movies Camera Obscura (thankfully!) rescues on home video...why not do the same for some of the rarer soundtracks?

It's a bummer when I view a new film with a killer soundtrack and realize that the likelihood of seeing that score on CD is slim to none. Although, I surmise that many of these films simply utilized library records from composers (which I also collect) or recycled themes from other films, and actually never had a "proper" score in the first place.

when i occasionally look through what's out there, i often find releases can be quite old, limited, and still reasonably available. personally, they're too expensive, and i'd really like to buy soundtracks that i've enjoyed from films i've seen and remember the music to - thing is, the films are quite thin on the ground, but plenty of other films that i like are also available. so, with only so much money and more of an interest in seeing these things, i'd prefer not to lay down more on a CD than i would on a BD. that said, i've a few (but not many) and have a little luck from time to time in spotting something worthwhile - if only i could make the most of the knowledge out there to clearly see what's upcoming in the soundtrack world - it's a field of interest in it's own right.

when i occasionally look through what's out there, i often find releases can be quite old, limited, and still reasonably available. personally, they're too expensive, and i'd really like to buy soundtracks that i've enjoyed from films i've seen and remember the music to - thing is, the films are quite thin on the ground, but plenty of other films that i like are also available. so, with only so much money and more of an interest in seeing these things, i'd prefer not to lay down more on a CD than i would on a BD. that said, i've a few (but not many) and have a little luck from time to time in spotting something worthwhile - if only i could make the most of the knowledge out there to clearly see what's upcoming in the soundtrack world - it's a field of interest in it's own right.

In regards to keeping track of what's upcoming in the soundtrack world, I find that the Screen Archives e-mail newsletter does a great job of keeping me up to date with what's being released cult film soundtrack-wise.